Cath
by Claerwen
Summary: Gianna's final thoughts before dying post-Breaking Dawn. The words she'd never say and the regret of joining the Volturi's human staff as Alec slowly kills her.


**A couple of days ago I was surfing the web and found out that Stephenie Meyer stated that Gianna had been killed at the end of Breaking Dawn because of the Volturi's loss. So, here's my take on what happened.**

**Song credits go to Death Cab for Cutie.**

* * *

Gianna tapped her manicured fingernails on the granite desk, impatiently waiting. The Volturi were to be back any minute now, from their trip to destroy the Cullens. From what Felix had told her, Edward Cullen and that odd, queer girl she had seen with him almost a year ago had made an immortal child. Gianna shuddered, knowing full well about the immortal children. But what struck her most was that girl. The normal, plain, ordinary girl whom a vampire had fallen in love with. She remembered, when she first saw them, the first feeling she had. She had felt hope. Hope that something like that would happen to her. That girl was everything she wanted to be, had strove to be. And Bella Swan had gotten it all so easily, she thought bitterly. It was proper that she would be destroyed. Killed for having everything that Gianna wanted. If she couldn't have it, neither should she. It was impossible for a vampire to fall for a human. Gianna knew so well.

_Cath, _

_she stands_

_ with a well-intentioned man_

_But she can't_

_relax_

_with his hand_

_on the small_

_of her back_

Gianna lay back in her office chair, shutting her eyes and breathing in. Scipio had sent her a song yesterday. A song now stuck in her head. Her hear fluttered as she remembered Scipio; she had left him to join the Volturi. And now she had a tipsy feeling of regret. Gianna had always had that tipsy feeling, of regret and fear, around the Volturi. Scipio had been her lover, and she left him for the Volturi. Her father had wanted her to marry him, too, but Gianna didn't want a simple life like that.

She was afraid that if she was ever changed, she would be in too deep with Scipio to enjoy it. So she left Scipio without warning, and he moved to America. He was the one person who always knew something was wrong with her. With Gianna. Constantly emailing her, asking her about her problems, pestering her father about her job. Always causing trouble.

Always reminding Gianna that there _was _somebody out there who sincerely cared for her.

Gianna felt the ground under her tremble. The Volturi were here.

_And as the flashbulbs burst_

_She holds a smile_

_ like someone would hold a crying child_

Gianna forced a smile on her face, trying to bash thoughts of Scipio, her father, her _life _out of her mind. It was so hard, when you were living your life, to try to forget about it. She walked over to the door, holding it open for the impeccably speedy Volturi. Gianna was used to their fast motions.

She saw Renata, Aro, Caius, and Athenodora speed past her first. Marcus came after them, walking slowly, shooting a smile at Gianna. She blinked, stepping back for a second, surprised. Marcus was never happy with her presence. He thought her greedy, always glared at her. Perhaps they had done especially well, Gianna thought hopefully. Her life was at stake now, she knew.

"Evening Marcus, Afton, Chelsea," Gianna forced her voice into a happy tune, beaming a smile at them as the trudged through the door. Chelsea's head of fine, brown hair was held up high as she walked in, her face showing the most utter upset. And she still looked perfectly beautiful, Gianna noticed jealously. They all looked upset, Gianna noticed, as the trudged through the door. All of them. Sulpicia was bitter as always, Corin, Jane, and even Heidi's steely face was contorted in boredom.

Gianna didn't dare to ask them how their mission had gone. She feared the answer. Alec had implied when speaking to her before they left, that if they succeeded, she may be changed. If they failed, she may be killed.

It was the way the Volturi did things.

_And soon everybody will ask_

_what became of you_

_'Cause your heart was dying fast, _

_and you didn't know what to do_

And Gianna knew if she was killed, her father, mother, and Scipio would never know. She hadn't spoken to them face to face in _years._Almost four years, she noted sadly. And now she wondered if the Volturi was really worth it. She shut her eyes briefly as memories flooded in. Her first day at school...her mother yelling at her for her imperfections...Scipio...her father's financial situation...

Gianna didn't know what to do anymore. Her eyes snapped open just in time to see Alec walk through the door, with Felix and Demetri behind them. Felix winked at her, at he did so habitually, but he wasn't smiling. Demetri looked serious, almost contemplating. He, out of all of the Volturi she had seen, looked least unhappy. After all, Gianna had gotten the idea that he hadn't really preferred to be with the Volturi. He was much too polite, much more...practical, compared to his other half. Felix. Alec smiled as he acknowledged her.

"Evening, Gianna," Alec said smoothly, his dark eyes hard and cold even as he smiled. Gianna smiled back, a sickly, forced smile.

"Good evening Alec, Felix, Demetri. How are you doing?" Gianna asked, noting her inability to speak smoothly like Heidi, or even Jane. She so many flaws. All would be gone if the Volturi had indeed succeeded. "Anything I can get you?" Gianna added automatically, her receptionist self kicking back in. The words of the song Scipio had sent her were still ringing in her head.

_Cath, _

_it seems _

_that you _

_live in someone else's _

_dream_

_In a hand-me-down _

_wedding dress_

"Gianna, our day hasn't gone by so well," Alec said, sighing and looking into the distance. Felix and Demetri looked like they were waiting for something. What was it? The always spoke to her freely, the most polite out of the rest of the Volturi. Alec's words made Gianna tense, almost fearful. No, no, she _couldn't _be fearful. Fear made her regretful. Regret made her unhappy. Unhappiness wouldn't get her the money that the Volturi gave her monthly. Gianna heaved a silent sigh as her childhood started to flood back. Her hand-me-down clothes from her older, perfect sister. Where her sister was now, she had no idea. They had never gotten along well. Vittoria was too...perfect for Gianna. She had everything Gianna wanted, a beautiful house, husband, everything. And it was Gianna's turn to prove that _she _was the one who had everything. Had power, had money, had _everything. _Gianna frowned in response to Alec's words.

The words of that pathetic song rang out in Gianna's head. This wasn't someone else's dream to become a vampire. It was _her _dream. She needed the money. She needed the power.

"I'm sorry," she said, sounding like a robot as she half-heartedly tried to sound sympathetic, "Anything I could do for you?"

_Where the things that could have been _

_are repressed_

"Why, Gianna, there is," Alec said, suddenly grabbing hold of both of her hands. Behind him, Demetri and Felix stayed still. Gianna fought the urge to break away from Alec's forcefully strong grip, fearing the worst. But she fought to stay still, and complacent, like she had trained herself to. Perhaps the Volturi were going to change her now, she thought hopefully. But part of her emotion gave in and Gianna shut her eyes, fighting the urge to cry out as memories flooded in. _Why now?_ Gianna thought miserably. Why was the stupid song flooding in horrible memories.

_Scipio sitting by her in the Piazza dei Priori...kneeling on his knee, a ring in his hand...running away from Scipio...knocking on the Palazzo's door late at night...when the Volturi were stargazing...Heidi opening the door as Gianna shut the door on everyone that mattered in her life..._Gianna's eyes snapped back open, looking into Alec's dark, cold ones.

"I'd be happy to do anything," Gianna said automatically in that happy, pleasant voice of hers. She _hated _that voice. She had always despised acting happy. Always despised what she did 24/7. What a wonderful actress she had been, she deserved an Oscar. For hiding her feelings from everone in her life. From Scipio. From Father. From Mother. Even from Vittoria.

_But you said your vows, _

_and you closed the door_

_On so many men who would have loved you more_

_"_I know you would be," Alec muttered, bringing his frightful mouth closer to her neck. Gianna shut her eyes, quickly trying to block out the tears that always came. It was too late now. Gianna feared the worst, and Alec was implying the worst was to happen. It wouldn't be that bad, would it? It was too late now anyway. She would never see Scipio again. She would never be able to see her father, hospitalized in Tuscany, again. She would never be able to pay for his medical bills. She would never see her mother, driven to insanity by her father's illness, again. She wouldn't be able to receive chocolate roses from Scipio again. Scipio would never send her those hurtful, but comforting because Gianna was reassured that _somebody _out there cared for her, emails again. She would never see Vittoria, and apologize for ruining her perfect wedding, again. Vittoria would keep calling, getting her voicemail, until one of the Volturi had the courtesy to explain her death. Her mother would never know what had happened to her, her mother's mind was too incapable of registering anything anymore. Scipio would keep emailing, keep emailing, until perhaps he tired and found somebody else. Somebody completely _perfect. _They would all be happy. All of them. When Gianna was gone.

_And soon everybody will ask _

_what became of you_

"The Volturi didn't do so well today," Alec muttered into Gianna ear, his sharp teeth so close to her soft skin. They could cut her apart in mere seconds. "The new Mrs. Cullen and her husband Edward didn't create an immortal child, they created a _real _one while Isabella was still human. Half-human, half-vampire. Irina was mistaken, and she was destroyed. The Cullens arranged a group of witnesses for the new creation, Renesmee. Isabella Cullen has a talent for mentally shielding people, so we could hardly incapacitate them that way. But we will find a way to get to them, Gianna, one day."

The words shocked Gianna. Half human, half vampire? That gave her hope, and in her dying moments, she had _hope. _That it was possible. That it _could _be done. And mentally, she thanked Bella Swan. For giving her hope in her dying moments, even though Gianna despised Bella for having everything that wasn't hers.

And now, Gianna knew that she _really _was to be killed.

_'Cause your heart was dying fast, _

_and you didn't know what to do_

That was what Scipio was always telling her in those emails, which she had pathetically sent unfeeling replies to. That her heart was dying. Slowly. _Painfully._

"A day you will not see, my dear Gianna," Alec muttered into her ear, before moving down to her neck. Where were Felix and Demetri? Were they still watching, unfeelingly? In that moment, Gianna felt the first tendrils of hate against them. Against all the Volturi. She felt her body tense with the hate. "Thank you for your service, Gianna."

"My pleasure," Gianna muttered, right before Alec's teeth pricked her skin. Her mouth opened in a silent scream. Gianna could never scream when she was truly frightened. When the man had met her in that alleyway, the day she had met Alec, and taken advantage of her, she hadn't screamed. Demetri had noticed that, after he and Felix had found her, bruised and exposed. The blood slowly started to drain out of her body, tears following from her eyes.

_The whispers that it won't last _

_roll up and down the pews_

Memories flowed through her streaming eyes, of faceless people and incoherent whispers. Things people were saying, _would _be saying if she was dying in a different way. If she had married Scipio and died a normal death, had a normal funeral. Whispers about Gianna. About her failed science project in third grade. When she tripped on her valedictorian speech in twelfth grade, and the room erupting in laughter at her ripped gown. Being approached in the dark, cold alley at midnight after working after hours at the hotel to pay off her father's hospital bills. Horrible memories.

Horrible last moments and a horrible death. But suddenly the pain was cut off, as Alec's talent kicked into place. Gianna could have had a talent too, if the Volturi had given her a chance.

_But if their hearts were dying that fast,_

All these things happened to Gianna. They didn't happen to anyone else. Just to Gianna. That was why her heart was dying, and no one else's was. No one else was like her. Nobody had understood her, with the exception of Scipio. She hated not feeling anything. She wanted to feel the _pain. _The burn as the venom trickled through her veins, absorbing every drop of blood in her frail, well kept body.

Like Catherine in _Wuthering Heights, _she was dying before she could meet with her lover. With Scipio. And tell him that everything she had said to him was lie. That she really loved him.

Like Cath, it was too late now.

_They'd have done the same as you_

And if anybody had been through the same things as her, they would have done the same as Gianna. But Gianna knew she wasn't Bella Swan. She didn't _have _a vampire to help her. She hand nobody. And as her eyes shut for the last time, one lasting memory stood out.

Kneeling on the floor of her small flat, her face soaked in tears, her palms on the dirty floor as she held the knife in her hands. She _couldn't _do it. Her life was so unbearable she couldn't even bear to kill herself. But the door opened and she saw the one thing that mattered.

"Scipio.." The word rolled off her dry tongue as she was sprawled, gasping for air. His tan, smooth face. His black hair that fell perfectly around his face. His shocked expression, kneeling down to her, his mouth opening and words coming out saying incoherent things and-

_And I'd have done the same as you_


End file.
